Seoul, Dec 13 (IANS) The martial law turmoil has caused “serious damage” to South Korea’s diplomacy, its top diplomat said on Friday, amid concerns over a foreign policy vacuum as President Yoon Suk Yeol faces another impeachment vote in parliament.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul made the remark as he appeared at a parliamentary hearing to answer lawmakers’ questions regarding the controversial Cabinet meeting held shortly before Yoon declared martial law on December 3, reports Yonhap news agency.
“I think there has been serious damage,” Cho said in the interpellation session of the National Assembly when asked by Rep. Cho Jung-sik of the main opposition Democratic Party whether he thinks the current situation amounts to a diplomatic emergency.
“We will maintain a firm South Korea-US alliance and focus on restoring the trust of the international community,” Cho said.
Yoon has been banned from leaving the country since law enforcement agencies launched investigations into his short-lived martial law imposition.
The political turmoil has effectively put all top-level and other key diplomatic engagements with other countries at a halt, including the cancelled trips to Seoul by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and a Swedish delegation led by its prime minister.
Cho said he believes diplomacy will be back on track once “constitutional order is restored.”
“What matters most is to restore constitutional order through democratic procedures and respecting the will of the people to recover and stabilize state affairs,” Cho said.
Asked why he avoided phone calls from US Ambassador Philip Goldberg on the night of the martial law, Cho said he didn’t want to “mislead” the ally about the situation.
“I felt it was more important to consider what to communicate to the US,” Cho said.
Cho was one of the Cabinet members who strongly opposed Yoon’s martial law.
Cho said he told Yoon many times to rethink his decision.
“I repeatedly urged him to reconsider, not only in terms of the impact on foreign policy but since it is a serious matter that could undo everything this country has achieved over the past 70 years,” Cho said.
“But (the president) said it was urgent and that he couldn’t take it back,” Cho said.
Yoon also gave Cho a paper briefly outlining what he had to do as the foreign minister when martial law was imposed, Cho said, without revealing what was written on the note because he doesn’t remember it.
Cho confessed that from the moment martial law was declared until it was lifted, he was in “deep anguish” and thought about stepping down.
“I was torn between my personal conviction of whether to resign as foreign minister and my sense of duty to fulfil my responsibilities,” Cho said.
–IANS
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